Vegetarian low-fat protein sources (other than powder)

smaugish
smaugish Posts: 244 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hai guys.

So basically I've worked out I need to eat a WHOLE LOAD more protein. I'm never anywhere near my protein goal for the day, and I know especially now I've upped my exercise (cardio and strength) I definitely need protein to help those budding muscles repair themselves. However, most vegetarian proteins I can think of have a fair bit of fat and I'm normally pretty close/slap BANG on my fat allowance for the day. So basically- help!?

I'm pretty certain I'm going to invest in a veggie friendly protein powder to have in place of breakfast (I can never eat in the morning, but know I need something before/after my workouts when I do them in the am) but I'm running low on ideas of LOW FAT veggie proteins.

Also note- I am in the UK, so I can't readily access many foods (such as seitan or tempeh) or brands such as Boca, Morningstar, high-protein or low-carb bakery products.

Cheers m'dears!

Replies

  • emmibee934
    emmibee934 Posts: 3
    Tofu, seitan, and tempeh are some of my old standbys. I usually cook a big batch of dried beans (more nutrients than canned) once a week and add it periodically into my meals. Nuts, greens, lentils, and quinoa are also good low-fat sources.
  • MommyToAllieB
    MommyToAllieB Posts: 56 Member
    I have the same issue. I am not a big meat eater and almost always way below my protein goal. Fage Greek yogurts are yummy and have 12 grams of protein and only 140 calories. They come in fat free and 2%. Also a little package of cottage cheese is 90 calories and like 9 or 10 grams of protein.
  • MommyToAllieB
    MommyToAllieB Posts: 56 Member
    not sure if you're including dairy though...
  • naariel
    naariel Posts: 37
    Lentils, beans. The legumes category, basically.
  • Gen_a_veev
    Gen_a_veev Posts: 1 Member
    So greek yoghurt is a good source? I've never tried it before. I think I might soon. Sounds promising!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Protein sources including vegetarian and vegan:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources
  • smaugish
    smaugish Posts: 244 Member
    I'm lactose intolerant so I like to avoid dairy where I can (but partaking in the occasional cheese and/or ice cream deliciousness is worth the pain and other side effects), and I also cannot stand cottage cheese, but thank you for the suggestion :)

    Should have mentioned my other problem is carbs. Today is a really bad example because I picked up some sushi for lunch because I wasn't going to be in to make my own and I was staaaaaaaaaaarving, but I'm still usually quite high. I'm trying to do 40/30/30.

    Do legumes have quite a lot of carbs?

    Tofu had slipped my mind as being low fat! Seitan and Tempeh are SO much harder for me to source (I'm in the UK) but I'll try to find somewhere that doesn't charge extortionately.
  • smaugish
    smaugish Posts: 244 Member
    Protein sources including vegetarian and vegan:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources

    How convenient! Thank you muchly :D
  • psfr
    psfr Posts: 25 Member
    Agreed- cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, dried beans (esp lentils and kidney beans).
    Eggs too if you eat those - I'd not worry too much about going a little over on the fat if they are good fat sources and you're not way over on carbs too.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Yogurt
    Quorn
    Morningstar
    Boca
    Reduced Fat Cheese
    Tuna
    Cottage cheese
    High protein wraps (like Flatout)
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
    Seitan is amazing. This is a loaf made with wheat gluten. I make sandwiches with it using whole wheat bread and dark leafy greens. I often make a loaf on the weekend. It has similar macros to a chicken breast.
    SIlver HIlls and Cobbs are two companies I know that make a high protein bread.
    Mushrooms are high in protein for their weight. You can make a lentil veggie burger that includes mushrooms to make the protein content more dense. Also consider nutritional yeast. It is lovely on popcorn, sprinkled on mashed potatoes and rice or veggies. research veggies for protein: broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts and spinach come to mind.
    Animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs and their lower fat versions: egg whites, low fat greek yogurt, cottage cheese and skim milk.

    Hope this helps. I can give you longer lists if you ask.
  • greej
    greej Posts: 37 Member
    Yes, legumes are quite carbohydrate-heavy. If you're going down the low-carb route (something I personally think is unnecessary and VERY difficult on a mostly-vegan diet, and possibly dangerous), you're going to want to stick with soybean protein--tofu, tempeh, edamame. And seitan, as RaspberryKeyt mentioned.

    Here's a good list that compares carb/protein/fat ratios of lots of different legumes:

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/beans-legumes-highest-protein.php
  • smaugish
    smaugish Posts: 244 Member
    Yes, legumes are quite carbohydrate-heavy. If you're going down the low-carb route (something I personally think is unnecessary and VERY difficult on a mostly-vegan diet, and possibly dangerous), you're going to want to stick with soybean protein--tofu, tempeh, edamame. And seitan, as RaspberryKeyt mentioned.

    Here's a good list that compares carb/protein/fat ratios of lots of different legumes:

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/beans-legumes-highest-protein.php

    I'm not going 'low carb' necessarily, just trying to stick to 40/30/30 :) Thanks for the link
  • Zylahe
    Zylahe Posts: 772 Member
    Most supermarkets do tofu . And soy (milk/ beans) is pretty good.
    Also the mock meats are fairly good for protein. (Try tofu scramble with some mock sausage/ bacon on the side rfor a fry up.)
    I was going to suggest quark and fromage frais for dairy.


    The important thing is to learn about amino acids.
    Protein gets broken down into amino acids and then rebuilds again back into protein.
    Most veggies have some of the amino acids, and by combining them you can get all of them together.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Quest bars are vegetarian but not vegan but pack 20g of protein
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    I tend to use quinoa, lentils, beans, and nuts. I know nuts are high in fat, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm also not sure our bodies need quite as much protein as this app says we need (and most cultures say we need). Obviously we need quite a bit, but I'm not just not sure it's AS HIGH as people thing. However, I tend to fluctuate in my weight, so I'm not sure my advice is the best.

    Are there some carbs you could cut out so you can add higher carb protein sources?
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    forgot to add: flax seed and chia seeds can help you get the protein you need. Again, not sure if they are super low fat, but I definitely use them.

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